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Born In The 50's Lyrics
We were born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
My mother cried
When president Kennedy died
She said it was the Communists
But I knew better
Would they drop the bomb on us
While we made love on the beach
We were the class they couldn't teach
'Cos we knew better
We were born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
They screamed
When the Beatles sang
And they laughed when the King fell down the stairs
Oh they should've known better
Oh we hated our aunt
Then we messed in our pants
Then we lost our faith and prayed to the TV
Oh we should've known better
We were born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
We freeze like statues on the pages of history
Living was never like this when we took all those G.C.E.'s
Oh you opened the door for us
And then you turned to dust
You don't understand us
So don't reprimand us
We're taking the future
We don't need no teacher
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
{fade}
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
When president Kennedy died
She said it was the Communists
But I knew better
While we made love on the beach
We were the class they couldn't teach
'Cos we knew better
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
When the Beatles sang
And they laughed when the King fell down the stairs
Oh they should've known better
Then we messed in our pants
Then we lost our faith and prayed to the TV
Oh we should've known better
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Living was never like this when we took all those G.C.E.'s
Oh you opened the door for us
And then you turned to dust
So don't reprimand us
We're taking the future
We don't need no teacher
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
Born in the fifties
Born
Born in the fifties
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These lyrics make me cringe...
GCE = General Certificate of Education http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Certificate_of_Education
It's about his generaton, and how they felt about the world they were living in. A funny song. It always makes me laugh
"My mother cried When president Kennedy died She said it was the Communists But I knew better ... And they laughed when the King fell down the stairs Oh they should've known better"
I can't say I was born in the 50's, but I can relate to what this song says, because I always think "I know better". AND I DO :P
So if there are any flaws on the album at all, it's only (a) that many of these songs, good as they are, still don't stand the competition with later Police classics (after all, there were bands who could do 'Next To You', but there wasn't anybody who could do 'Don't Stand So Close To Me'), and (b) a couple of the songs are indeed sub-par: 'Born In The 50's' isn't bad melodically, but the lyrical message and the arrogance of the number are kinda dumb, almost fit for a generic arena rocker … [George Starostin]
psssst! He's being sarcastic. The song isn't arrogant, it's self-effacing. "Weren't we so dumb and arrogant, we thought we knew better."
A question that has nagged me for years: what is a G.C.E.? Is it a British thing? And when did the king fall down the stairs?
@Kyomara I assume here "The King" is Elvis?
@Kyomara I assume here "The King" is Elvis?
These geezers were born in '52, '51, and 1942. Were they trying to be as young as punks in England at the time? Dave Vanian and Johnny Rotten were born in 1956, putting two punks square in the '50s. Police: suspect.
Er... George Starostin, are you the same George Starostin who did those reviews for that site? Wow... You're not dead.
Okay, on topic:
The song is pretty catchy, so I ignore the annoyoing lyrics, but looking at them now, I see waht you mean. They are really arrogant. >>;; Why would anyone want to brag about being born in the 50's anyway? The 50's were critically lacking in a sense of humor.
Other than beatniks. Beatniks are funny.
Oh and the Cold War. That was a riot.
And all the blatant segregation, racism, and sexism. That was pretty fun... for white men.
And all the blatant segregation, racism, and sexism. That was pretty fun... for white men.
I hate people who look at old 50's propaganda films and says "I wish life like that, all cheery and happy and everyone was nice to each other."
I hate people who look at old 50's propaganda films and says "I wish life like that, all cheery and happy and everyone was nice to each other."
Total crock of shit.
Total crock of shit.
The Beatniks were born in the 20s. The Police are bragging about being the generation that they were, not the generation that was older.
The Beatniks were born in the 20s. The Police are bragging about being the generation that they were, not the generation that was older.
Overturning the "blatant… racism" etc. is what they're bragging about. What part of "born in" got misunderstood here? The culture of the 50s was created by the adults of the 50s, not the babies. They're bragging about being the generation that "knew better" and tried to end the racism, the Cold War, etc.
Overturning the "blatant… racism" etc. is what they're bragging about. What part of "born in" got misunderstood here? The culture of the 50s was created by the adults of the 50s, not the babies. They're bragging about being the generation that "knew better" and tried to end the racism, the Cold War, etc.
Of course, the Beatniks were sure that they were smarter and more enlightened than the generation older...
Of course, the Beatniks were sure that they were smarter and more enlightened than the generation older than them, too. They were also anti-Cold War and anti-racism.
Every generation has people who see the previous generations' flaws as something that need to be corrected. It's ironic if someone who commented on these lyrics in the 2000s saw the decades and centuries before as a divide between only two eras, when in fact each generation comes along and aspires to improve things. I promise that someone in the 2020s is looking askance at the 2000s, and someone in the 2040s, will look askance at the 2020s, ad infinitum.